Dancing With Another Man
by Anyisa
Summary: Something as simple as sitting at a table can bring back memories that are sometimes best forgotten. Oneshot. Please read and review.


Disclaimer: I own nothing about Harry Potter.

 **I hope whoever reads it likes this story! I had a thought about it and couldn't let it go until I got something down I also had a song heavily in mind as I wrote. I'm happy with how it's turned out and I hope you enjoy it.**

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He hated this. Every minute of being here, every pitying look sent to him, every whisper people didn't even try to hide behind their hands….this was bloody awful. He'd let his mum drag him here, saying how it would do for him to show his support, but he'd rather be at his flat, eating the last of the pizza he'd gone to a muggle town close by to get a few days ago.

"Well, she'd well and married off." a voice said beside him before he was jostled a little by the person dropping into the seat next to him, making sure to make as much unnecessary contact as possible with shoulder and elbow.

"Bloody hell, Gin, not today, ok?" He groaned, his head falling into his hands as he placed his elbows on the table in front of him.

"Serves you right, you git. I don't know why you bothered showing up either way. You've done nothing but sulk at the table all night."

He leveled a glare at the woman beside him and glowered as she smirked. He didn't need her here telling him he'd done a right job of buggering it up, he remembered every day he walked through his damned flat. When the music started he almost moaned, memories of their last fight coming back as if it were yesterday.

* * *

She'd been on him about going out a night a week, one bloody night, and he'd been too involved in pick up Quidditch games with friends and co-workers but the one time he'd agreed to go, he'd stood her up, sending an owl to say he'd been held up with a case and he'd meet her at the restaurant. Gods he could still remember walking into their house that night, all the lights were off and he'd just assumed she'd gone to bed. He'd gone to the kitchen to make a late snack and had every intention of turning on the telly and watching a few shows before turning in, the game he'd played that night in lieu of a case leaving him a bit wound up and in need to unwind before making his way upstairs and instead he'd jumped a foot when he flicked on the light to the parlor and saw her sitting there, all dressed up in the dress he loved so much, her hair in a fancy style it took her ages to do and the eye make up she always wore on fancy occasions leaving identical lines down her cheeks.

"Blimey, 'Mione, give a man a warning." He'd said with a laugh. Damned he was a bloody wanker to laugh. Looking back now, he saw the flinch she'd given when he reached and pecked her cheek.

"I can't do this." She'd said calmly, as if she'd been discussing the weather. Maybe that's why he hadn't taken her seriously.

He could still remember his answer and he cringed right there at the table when it went through his head.

"Well I imagine doing anything in the dark is hard." He'd laughed again and now he wished nothing more to cut his own tongue out.

"Don't, just don't."

He'd looked at her then, taking a bite of his sandwich as he sat on the couch. He'd chewed slowly and swallowed, opening his mouth to respond but she'd cut him off.

"Do you know how long I waited for you?" She'd asked, the usual anger in her voice absent again and he'd felt a chill run down his spine at it.

'If she's mad she still cares' rolled around in his head almost violently and it had just begun to sink in when he noticed her moving. He hadn't even seen the bags by her chair.

"Oi, what's all this?" He demanded when she reached for the largest. "Oh, come off it, I'm sorry, ok? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

The look she'd given him had been so blank it still made his heart thud to think of it.

"I was there for an hour, Ron." She said quietly, bending to pick up the other two bags with one hand before straightening. "I only came home when Ginny came in to pick up take away a half hour later and asked if I was having a nice solo night out." Her breath hitched at that point and he mentally prepared for the tongue lashing she usually gave. "You see, Harry had owled her to let her know he'd be late, the fellows wanted to play a late game and he'd agreed. I, on the other hand, sat in a restaurant, listening to music I was going to dance with my boyfriend to later, waiting for a man who had no intention of showing up."

"Well it's not like I planned to be out all night, I was planning on…."

"Just stop it, it doesn't matter. I can't do this anymore. I'll be getting the rest of my things tomorrow while you're at work."

He'd scoffed then and watched as she went to the floo, called out a hotel in Diagon and walked out of the house. He'd sat and ate the rest of his sandwich, remembering his dad giving him a talk before they moved in about how fights were common, it meant they were growing as a couple. All couples fought, it was just nature. The weeks and months to follow that where an on and off blur to him. He'd remembered her favorite flower in some stroke of luck and had sent bouquet after bouquet to her, recalling the tinge of envy he'd ignored at the time when she'd mentioned an office mate had received flowers from her fiance had sent her and each had come back to the house, note still sealed. He'd almost haunted the restaurant they were to meet at, hoping she'd get a nostalgic heart and show, she never did. It had taken six months before he'd finally gotten it. He'd go to the restaurant still, just once a month now, though, and could remember his heart skipping a beat when he saw her walk in, her hair down around her shoulders but still showing her almost glowing face, a dress that looked like it had been made for her, falling just above her knee in an emerald green colour he could never remember her wearing with him. He'd made saw the smile on her face as she looked around the small restaurant and almost stood when her eyes stopped and lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. The only thing that stopped him had been that she'd smiled before her eyes had even made it to his corner. He watched as she made her way to a table towards the center of the room. He'd watched as a man he recognized even from behind stood and held out a bouquet of flowers to her, purple dahlias...her favorite, kiss her cheek and pull her chair out for her. He couldn't remember doing any of those things in their 3 year relationship….not a single instance of him arriving early to greet her, flowers simply because they were going out, he couldn't even remember a public display of affection outside of a quick hug. He'd left, then, walking out quickly but carefully as not to draw attention to himself and took a deep breath as he got to the street outside, almost gutted when he'd heard her laugh just before he'd gotten to the door.

* * *

"Ron, are you alright?" He came back to the white clothed table in a jolt and looked at Harry, who had somehow come to sit next to him almost blankly before he shook himself.

"Alright, mate, just wool gathering." He said, looking out to the dance floor to see it cleared save one couple.

He watched as the love of his life rested her head on the shoulder of her husband, eyes closed and a small smile on her face when a platinum blonde head bent to whisper something in her ear. He saw the small sigh she gave when the man kissed her temple and how she nuzzled into him after. He saw all that he had planned on having himself and stood up abruptly, moving quickly to the exit. With a final turn he saw Hermione being swept into a dip and felt a tear fall before he walked to the disapparating point, the things he should have done the only things to go round his head as he made his way home.

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 **Please let me know what you think! I've been getting bitten on and off by the fan fiction bug and this is the first that I've been able to get out in total.**


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